The present invention relates to a support assembly for the coupling of a universal joint, and more particularly to an assembly for supporting the coupling of universal joints for use in drive assemblies of rolling mills.
Slipper couplings or gear couplings have heretofore been used as large-sized universal joints in drive assemblies for rolling mills. To ensure improved torque transmission efficiencies, there is a tendency in recent years to use universal joints of the cardan type in rolling roll drive systems or the like.
Although cardan-type universal joints operate satisfactorily while they are connected to a drive shaft and a drive shaft with their joints in engagement therewith, a problem is encountered when the drive shaft (roll neck) is withdrawn from the coupling on the driven side, for example for the replacement of the roll. That is, even when the joint is provided with a support at its intermediate portion, namely at the rotary shaft portion, the coupling hangs down from the joint portion on the driven side. Accordingly, the neck of the new roll will not be fittable to the coupling, unless the coupling is raised into alignment with the roll.
To solve this problem, the following means are used for large-sized universal joints of the cardan type which are not liftable by the man power.
(1) Means for supporting the outer peripheral portion of the coupling against hanging before the roll neck is released from the coupling.
(2) Means provided at the yoke portion of the joint for minimizing the hanging of the coupling and thereby holding the coupling approximately in alignment with the roll when the roll neck is withdrawn. Additionally, the end of the roll neck and the inlet of the coupling are chamfered so that the roll neck can be forced into fitting engagement with the coupling, initially by being guided thereinto by the chamfers.
However, the supporting means (1) is generally of complex construction and costly and is not usable when the space available is limited, whereas the means (2) has the serious drawback that the restriction of hanging in turn restricts the function of the universal joint. Thus, the latter means has greatly limited applications.